Laila Samuels: I wrote "Afterglow" as a message to the universe that I’m fighting back

Photo: Paul Parzych

Yesterday we got the names of the 10 participants of MGP 2016 and today we got an interview with one of them (The one that will probably be my biggest favorite!) Here are the answers of LAILA SAMUELS:
Name: Laila Samuels
Birthday: June 3rd 
Height: 1.65
Favorite color: black - although it's not a color
Favorite food: potato chips
Where are you right now? - Oslo - getting ready to play at the thief music unplugged
What’s your strangest talent? - I can whistle and smile at the same time
What is the strangest thing you have in your room? - A glowing reindeer
What are you really good at? - Playing cards
What are you really bad at? -  Acting and playing golf
Childhood idol: Boy George & Prince
Childhood memory: Taking dirty dancing lessons. And writing books and songs and poems all day.
Celebrity crush: (Boy George) when I was like 6 or 7 
Tell me something no one knows about you: A secret u mean? Let’s wait till I know u a little better and I'll give u something good ;)
What would you do if you were invisible? ooohhh - I would love that. I'd sneak into some meetings... Like between Putin and Obama. Or just spend a day in Donald Trump’s house. That could be interesting. 
Favorite movie: ... I’m a total film freak.. I love "The Departed"... But I could name a hundred. 
Favorite TV series: Same…l am watching 10 series at a time. Right now I’m waiting for more episodes of Game of thrones- The affair - and Nashville. 
What is your guilty pleasure? Gambling...? hehe
If you were a boy for a day, what would you do? I'd be very surprised all day.
Name a song that never fails to make you happy: I prefer melancholic music- right now I’m crazy in love with Oscar & the wolf. Amazing.
When did you start singing and writing?  As soon as I could sing and write. I wrote my first "book" when I was 6. My mom gave it to me a few years back. She’d kept it. That was sweet.
Can you teach me some interesting words in Norwegian?  If you just name drop our Ski Heroes Marit Bjørgen and Petter Nortug - you'll come a long way over here ;)

Hello Laila! Welcome to MGP! How are you?
Thank you - I’m great - so much fun to do the Eurovision! 

How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I am a singer songwriter- my sound is pretty organic- I play a lot just with my guitar- but my record has a lot of perc- strings and epicness too. And some nordic melody lines. 

Photo: Kim Erlandsen/NRK

You are one of the participants of MGP 2016. How did it all begin?
I knew the second I had written afterglow that I wanted to perform it on the Eurovision. So I sent it in. and waited. And was thrilled when they chose it. Can’t wait to show it to the people :) 

“Afterglow” is the title of your song, what’s the story behind it?
I always write from the heart. I did the composition, the melodies and production with Jan Weigel and The Beatgees- then I went home - and that night the lyric just kinda wrote itself. I had gone through a lot the past 3 years and needed some changes- so I wrote this as a message to the universe that I’m fighting back. I'm sensitive, but a warrior. And it kinda marked the start of a very amazing new era. 

Describe the song with 4 words:
Epic, vulnerable, nordic , personal.

What can we expect to see on stage for the performance?
I would love to have 1 million warriors like a game of thrones scene, but... that would be too expensive-so - I will let the song speak for itself and -it will be just me on the stage. 

What do you like about Eurovision?
The amazing unity of more than 40 countries- all getting behind this show for 1 shiny day. Putting all our differences aside and just celebrating culture.

What do you dislike about Eurovision?
What’s not to like??

Photo: Jens Bredberg

Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
Berlin: Home
Nightmare: Fighting
Freedom: Life
UFO: weeeeellll......
Stage: Home
Dreams: Life

What are your plans for 2016?
My debut album as a solo act is gonna come out this year!

Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?
Thank you for the talk-  I will do my best to entertain you all <3

Photo: Paul Parzych

Thanks to Laila for the interview, I cant wait to listen to her song!

Official website: http://www.lailasamuels.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Laila-Samuels-1870286029863939
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lailasamuels